Locking rod operating mechanism for charging machines for open-hearth furnaces



Sept. 12, 1944.- H. KINCAID LOCKING ROD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CHARGINGMACHINES FOR OPEN HEARTH FURNACES Filed NOV. 10, 1945 N R w PatentedSept. 12, 1944 LOCKING ROD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CHARGING MACHINES FOROPEN- HEARTH FURNACES John H. Kincaid, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignorto The Wellman Engineering Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio.

Application November 10, 1943, Serial No. 509,714

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved means for the operation of thelocking rod of a charging machine for open hearth furnaces.

With the ordinary locking rod operating mech anism the tilting motion ofthe ram and spindle frame is accompanied by motion of the hand leverlocated on the operators platform, with the result that there is nodefinite position of the hand lever corresponding with either the lockedor the unlocked position of the rod. Movement of the hand lever alsopresents a hazard to the operator.

The principal object of the invention is to permit tilting of the ramand spindle without any accompanying motion of the hand lever, with theresult that there will be definite positions of the hand levercorresponding to both the locked and the unlocked positions of the rod,and the hand lever will remain stationary at all times unlessintentionally moved by the operator.

The above object is attained very effectively by the present inventionwhich may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain noveldetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts whichwill be described in the specification and set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a simplified showing of a side elevation of a chargingmachine, a furnace, and. a charging box, the furnace and the chargingbox being shown by dotted lines; and.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with portions in section, illustrating myinvention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, It] represents the frame of a charging machinewhich is adapted to travel parallel to a row of open hearth furnaces onrails ll, one of the furnaces being indicated at l2 by dotted lines.Between the furnace and the rails H is adapted to travel a car or lorry[3 which is adapted to present charging boxes [4 in line with theopening of the open hearth furnace [2. Additionally, the chargingmachine includes a trolley or cross carriage lila which is adapted whenmoved toward, the furnace to insert the charging boxes into the furnace.

The charging machine also includes a ram !5, a spindle I6, and a spindleframe I! which is pivoted or fulcrumed at 18 on the cross carriage ortrolley Illa. The ram and spindle frame are adapted to be tilted bymechanism indicated at l9, and the spindle I6 is adapted to be rotatedabout its axis when a charging box has been connected thereto and hasbeen inserted in the furnace and it is desired to dump the contentsthereof into the furnace, this rotating motion being imparted to thespindle by a motor 20 conheated (through intermediate gearing not shown)to a gear 2| secured to the rear nd of the spindle. -T he ram, thespindle frame, and the associated parts, including the tiltingmechanism, the rotating motor, etc., are all carried on the trolley orcross carriage Illa and are adapted to move toward and away from thefurnace on rails, a portion of one of which is shown at 22, carried bythe frame 10 of the charging machine, this mechanism being supported onthe rails 22 through wheels 23 one of which is shown by dotted lines inits rearward position and also in its forward position by dotted linesin Fig. 1.

The mechanism so far described is old and very well known, and it isthought that the simplifi'ed showing of Fig. 1 will suffice.

I will now describe the mechanism constituting the present inventionwhich, as before stated,

relates to the mechanism for actuating the looking rod which isindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by full lines in'Fig. 2 at 24.It is understood that this locking rod is adapted to be moved forwardlyand rearwardly with reference to the ram l5 so that when moved forwardlyit will lock the forward end i5a of the ram l5 into an opening orslotted portion I la ofthe charging box l4 and, when moved rearwardly,it will release the charging box, as is well understood in the art.

To attain the object stated in the early part of the specification andto overcome the disadvantages of the prior mechanisms for shifting thelocking rod 24 forwardly or rearwardly, I have provided the followingimproved mechanism: r

The operators platform is indicated at 25 in Figs. 1 and 2, thisplatform being suitably sup-' ported on the trolley or cross carriageHla. Located on this platform is a rod shifting hand lever- 26 which i spivoted at 21 intermediate its ends and carries a pawl 28 which isadapted to engage in notches in a segment 29 so as to-positively lockthe lever 26 in its forward or rearward position. The lower end of thehand lever 26 beneath the pivot point 21 is pivotally connected to a rod30 which at its forward end carries a roller 3| which is supported by alink 32 pivotally connected at 33 to an extension 34 of the trolley orcross carriage Illa. The roller 3| engages in a curved slot 35 of a rodoperating member 36 to which is connected the locking rod 24 by means ofa swivel joint 31 which will permit the locking rod 24 to rotate withthe ram and ram spindle, as is well known in the art.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the slot 35 andthe member 36 are so formed as to permit the ram with the locking rod 24to be raised and lowered without disturbing the hand lever 26 or the rod30 and at the same time permit the locking rod 24 to be moved backwardand forward by shifting the hand lever 26. This is accomplished bycurving the slot 35 on a radius which is concentric with the center ofthe pivot or fulcrum I8 for the spindle frame on the trolley or crosscarriage Illa when the member 38 is in normal position shown in Figs. 1and 2. In other words, it is desirable that the slotted member 36 withits slot 35 move idly with reference to the roller 31 when the ram andspindle frame are being tilted and at the same time permit the roller tomove freely in the slot 35 while the roller as well as the rod 30 andhand lever are being moved to shift the locking rod 24 either forwardlyor rearwardly. All this-is accomplished by curving the slot'35 on aradius concentric with the pivot point [8 which is located at theforward end of the spindle frame II.

My improved mechanism is completed by movably connecting the slottedmember 36 to the gear housing 38 which is mounted at the rear end of thespindle frame IT. This is'accomplished in this instance by means of twolazy tong links 39 and 40 which are pivotally connected intermediatetheir ends at 4] and at their lower ends are pivotally connected at 42and 43 to the lower end of the slotted member 36 and to the rear end ofthe gear housing 38 respectively, while at their upper ends they areprovided with rollers 44 which engage in slots suitably formed at theupper end of the slotted member 36 and at the rear end of the gearhousing 38 respectively.

' naces, a charging machine frame adapted to travel along a trackway andprovided with a trolley or cross carriage, a ram, a spindle, and aspindle frame pivotally supported on the trolley or cross carriage, alocking rod movable back and forth with reference to the ram, spindleand spindle frame, and means for moving the locking rod comprising amember operatively connected to the locking rod, said member having aslot curved on a radius in predetermined relation to the pivotal centerof the spindle frame, a roller movable in the slot of said member, alink suspending said roller, and a hand lever operatively connected tosaid roller.

3. In a charging machine for open hearth furnaces, a charging machineframe adapted to travel along a trackway and provided with a trolley orcross carriage, a ram, a spindle, and a spindle frame pivotallysupported on the trolley or cross carriage, a locking rod movable backand forth with reference to the ram, spindle and spindle frame, andmeans for moving the locking rodback and forth comprising a memberoperatively connected to the rod, said member having a slot with aradius of curvature equal substantially to the distance of said slotfrom the pivotal connection of the spindle frame to the trolley or crosscarriage, a part which is movable in the slot of said member, a linkpivotally suspending said part, and a hand lever which is operativelyconnected to said part.

4. In a charging machine for open hearth furnaces, a charging machineframe, a trolley or cross carriage movable on the charging machine frametoward and from a furnace, a spindle frame, a ram, a spindle, and anoperators plat- This mechanism connects the slotted member 36 to therear end of the spindle frame or to the gear housing 38 so that, whenthe hand lever 26 is shifted, the requisite movement will be imparted tothe locking rod 24. Likewise it will be seen that the hand lever isfixed in definite positions by the locking pawl 28 for either theforward or rearward position of the locking rod 24 and does not swingback and forth as has been the case heretofore whenthe ram and thespindle frame are tilted. 7

It will be seen therefore that the object of the invention stated in theearly part of the specification is attained very effectively by themechanism of the present invention.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, I do notdesire to be limited thereto but aim in my claims to cover allmodifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and thescope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a charging machine for open hearth furnaces, a charging machineframe having a trolley or cross carriage, a ram, a spindle, and aspindle frame pivotally supported on said trolley or cross carriage, alocking rod movable through the ram, spindle and spindle frame, andmeans for moving said locking rod back-and forth, said means comprisinga member having a curved slot operatively connected to the rod, a partwhich is movable in the slot, a link pivotally suspending said part, anda hand lever connected to said part.

2. In a charging machine for open hearth furform carried by the trolleyor cross carriage, the spindle frame being pivotally connected to saidtrolley or cross carriage, a locking rod movable back and forth withreference to the ram, spindle and spindle frame, and means for movingthe locking rod comprising a member which is operatively connected tothe locking rod and which has a slot curved on a radius equalsubstantially to the distance of the slot from the center of the pivotalconnection of the spindle frame on the trolley or cross carriage, aroller movable in the slot of said member, a link suspending saidroller, and a pivoted hand lever operatively connected to said roller,said hand lever being accessible to the operator while standing on saidplatform to positively latch the hand lever in the forward and rearwardpositions of the locking rod.

5. In a charging machine for open hearth furnaces, a charging machineframe, a trolley or cross carriage movableon the charging machine frametoward and from a furnace, a spindle frame, a ram, a spindle, and anoperators platform carried by the trolleylor cross carriage, the spindleframe being pivotally connected to said trolley or cross carriage, alocking rod movable back and forth with reference to the ram, thespindle and the spindle frame, and means for moving the locking rOdcomprising a member which is operatively connected to the locking rodand which has a slot curved on a radius equal substantially to thedistance of the slot from the center of the pivotal connection of thespindle frame on the trolley or cross carriage, apart movable in theslot of said member, a link suspending said part, and a pivoted handlever operatively connected to said part, said slotted member beingmovably connected with an extension of the spindle frame, said handlever being accessible to the operator while standing on said platformto positively latch the hand lever in the forward and rearward positionsof the locking rod. o

6. In a charging machine for open hearth furnaces, a charging machineframe, a trolley or cross carriage movable on the charging machine frametoward and from a furnace, a spindle frame, a ram, a spindle, and anoperator's platform carried by the trolley or cross carriage, thespindle frame being pivotally connected to said trolley or crosscarriage, a locking rod movable back and forth with reference to theram, the spindle and the spindle frame, and means for moving the lockingrod comprising a member which is operatively connected to the lockingrod and which has a slot curved on a radius equal substantially to thedistance of the slot from the center of the pivotal connection of thespindle frame on the trolley or cross carriage, a part extension of thespindle frame, said hand leverbeing accessible to the operator whilestanding on said platform to positively latch the hand lever in theforward and rearward .positions of the locking rod.

JOHN H. KINCAID.

